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THE.
I'RTVILEGE
OF
THE
[SEAM.
XL.
nliscs
;
and
they have
a
pledge
and pattern
of
it
in
the
body
of Jesus
Christ
raised
from
the dead,
and
glorified
in
the midst
of
them.
Their
hope
lies
'under
no dark-
ness,
no
discouragement.
The
saints
on
earth
therefore;
in the exercise of this
their
hope,
give a
greater
glory
to
God
than
those in
heaven
;
for
it
struggles
with mighty
difficulties,
and overcomes them all.
It
is
such
a
hope
as
Abraham built
on
the mere promise
-of
God,
that
he
should
have a
son when he was
a húndred
years
old,
and
bis
wife
Sarah
was
ninety.
"
He
hoped
in
God
who
quickeneth
the 'dead,
and calleth those things
which
be
not
as though
they
were;
who
against hope
believed
in hope,
that
be
might become the
Father
of
many nations,
ac
cording
to
that
which
Was
spoken
so
shall thy seed
be
IIe
staggered
not at
the promise
of God through
unbelief,
but
was
strong
in
faith,
giving
glory to
God,"
Rom.
iv.
17,
18,
20.
III.
Liberality and compassion
to
the poor
is
another
exercise
of
grace, for
which
this
life
only
gives
oppor-
tunity. The
objects
of our
bounty
on
earth are
both
saints
and
sinners;
for
we
are
charged
to
imitate
our
heavenly Father;
"
who
commands
his
sun to rise on
the
-evil
mad
the
good,
and
his
rain
to fall
-and
refresh the
just
and
the-
unjust,"
Mat,
v,
45.
But
in
the
world to come,
the
saints
are raised far
above
the want
of
our compas-
lion,
and condemned sinners
in
their
long everlasting
misery
are forbid
all
refreshment.
It
is
in
this
life only,
that
we
can
shew
our
love to
Christ
himself;
by
refreshing the
bowels
of
his
'saints.
It
is here
that
we
may
treasure
up
matter for
divine
ap-
probation and
solemn applause. in
the
great judgment
-
day, when
the
alms
that
have
been
given in
a
private
Corner,
where
"
the left
-hand has not known what the
right -hand did,"
shall
be
published
with
honour
before
that
innumerable
assembly.
"
I
remember,"
says
our
blessed
Lord,
"I
well
remember,
when in
yonder
world
ye
fed my
hungry saints, then
ye fed
and nourished
me
;
when
ye
gave
drink
to them,
ye
gave
drink
to
me,
and
relieved
my
thirst;
when
ye
bestowed
garments
on
them,,
it
was
I
that
was
naked, and
ye
clothed
and covered
me;
and
when ye
visited them
in
sickness
or in
prison, I
was
the
prisoner,
I
was sick,
and
I
take it
as
kindly
as though
ye had visited
and comforted me." Astonishing
conde-
3